Mat.



No. 835,274. .PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906. P. s. BURNS.

MAT.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 2'], 1906.

1": NORRIS PETERS 5a,, WASHINGTON, n c

PATRICK S. BURNS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed February 27, 1906- Serial No. 303,161-

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK S. BURNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a very cheap, simple, and efficient floor-mat which will automatically drain itself and which will prevent slippage of the person standing or walking on it. My mat is adapted for a variety of usesfor example, aisles in buildings and street-cars, behind bars or other counters, and, in fact, in all places where dampness renders a mat desirable.

The invention comprises an arrangement of open slats and flexible treads hereinafter more fully explained, and definitely summarized in the claims.

The drawings clearly illustrate my mat.

Figure 1 is a plan. Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. ,3 is a cross-section taken, for example, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aview along one of the elastic members, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section.

The same letters of reference designate the same part in each figure.

My mat is made in sections of convenient size, which may be used singly or placed one after the other or by the side of each other, according to the requirements of use, being fastened or hinged together or unconnected, as desired. Each section of the mat is built up of a series of parallel bars A, separated into pairs by distance-blocks B. Each pair ofbars A clamp between them an elastic tread O, which rises higher than the bars. The whole structure is held together by long bolts D, which pass through the bars, the treads, and the distance-blocks and have nuts (1 on their ends. The elastic treads rising higher than the other members of the mat are the ones to receive the weight of the person walking or standing on the mat. Slippage is thus prevented. The spaces between the bars allow complete drainage, so that no matter how wet the surrounding floor may be the shoesoles are protected from the moisture.

The elastic treads may be made of soft rubber. In order to prevent undue wear of these treads, I provide protection material therefor, which may consist of canvas E, lapped around the treads, or pieces of cheaper elastic F Fmay be placed on opposite sides of the tread and rise somewhat higher than the frame, but not so high as the tread, as shown in Fig. 5. By this arrangement the treads themselves are relieved of the wear coming on their corners when one walks over them. The treads may have slots 0 formed in them where the bolts pass through, as shown in Fig. 4., so as to allow adjustment of the treads when worn without the entire separation of the mat. Where the canvas coverings are used, they would be correspondingly slotted.

1 claim 1. In a mat, in combination, a series of bars, elastic treads clamped between the bars in pairs, said treads rising higher than the bars, a set of distance-blocks between the various pairs of bars separating them while allowing draining-space between them, and a protection for the elastic treads clamped between the sides of the treads and the adjacent bars.

2. In a mat, in combination, a series of bars, elastic treads placed between the bars in pairs, a protection for the treads placed on the sides thereof between the treads and bars, distance blocks between the consecutive pairs of bars, and through bolts passing through the bars, the protection, the treads, and the distance-blocks.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK S. BURNS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATEs, G. A. MYERS. 

